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02008 Neilalien Awards
Best Dr. Strange Appearance: Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #5
The largest (outside of New Avengers), most creative and competent appearance of Doctor Strange himself for the year- but that's despite being a non-616 non-solo kiddie appearance with another origin retelling and Wong and Ancient One retooling.
Worst Dr. Strange Appearance: New Avengers Annual #2 [Neilalien rants]
Worst Dr. Strange Appearance, Runners-Up: Several blatantly useless ones: Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men #1 ("I'm not at my peak..." OUT); Amazing Spider-Man #555 ("spent..." OUT); What If? Secret Wars #1 ("I've prepped for 25 years..." OUT)
Other Notable Dr. Strange Appearances: Cable & Deadpool #47 (this app is unliked as "Doc orders killing to bring a villain back to life" by Sanctum, but Neilalien enjoyed the funny, and read it more as "Deadpool has to bloody his sword with certain life essences to repair dimensional-barrier damage" (maybe Neilalien is squinting to see what he wants, but except for the beheading of an obviously evil succubus, mostly the victim creatures are clearly shown non-dead or otherwise too large, tough or misty (one has only a hand sliced off- not that maiming is the purview of good guys either, so Sanctum has a point) to be killed with one katana blow), and the main purpose is to repair dimensional boundaries, not resurrect the villain, that's just a fun side-effect to bring the villain back)
Best Appearance of a Dr.-Strange-Affiliated Character, Accoutrement, Parody, etc., Tie: Magic Super-Skrull in Captain Britain and MI:13
Best Appearance of a Dr.-Strange-Affiliated Character, Accoutrement, Parody, etc., Tie: Clea in "Un-Enchanted Evening", King-Size Spider-Man Summer Special, by Paul Tobin (who also wrote Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #5) and Colleen Coover
Best Appearance of a Dr.-Strange-Affiliated Character, Accoutrement, Parody, etc., Runner-Up: Plokta and the Mindless Ones in Captain Britain and MI:13
Worst Appearance of a Dr.-Strange-Affiliated Character, Accoutrement, Parody, etc.: Last Defenders #1: the revelation that Son of Satan had visited the Ancient One before Stephen Strange (the list of characters who have done this seems to grow by the year), the Ancient One talking with foreknowledge of Stephen Strange being the Chosen One (the original, better, non-Neo Doc origin seems to fade away by the year), the talk as if the Son of Satan's occult power, which granted should be immense, essentially eclipsing Doctor Strange's
Other Appearances of a Dr.-Strange-Affiliated Character, Accoutrement, Parody, etc.: Nightmare in both Incredible Hercules #118 and Fantastic Four: True Story; Dormammu revealed as the Hood's patron in New Avengers
Biggest Disappointment to Dr. Strange Fans: Doc mostly out of the picture for 02008 and Secret Invasion
Greatest Hope for Dr. Strange Fans: the triumphant return of Doctor Strange in the New Avengers "New Sorcerer Supreme" storyline
The Comic Book of 02008: Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko by Blake Bell
Some More Comic Books That Brought Neilalien Much Joy in 02008:
All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
Captain Britain and MI:13 by Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk
Johnny Hiro by Fred Chao [AdHouse to move Johnny Hiro from floppies to a trade re: Diamond's new rules]
The Nearly Infamous Zango by Rob Osborne
Atomic Robo by Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener
Neilalien might populate this list with a couple more items over the next week as he re-reads more of the year's comics and Doc appearances.
Please see Sanctum's Doctor Strange Awards for the year
Posted 31 January 02009 - Permalink


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LONDON (AP) — One five-time Wimbledon champion is guaranteed to reach the quarterfinals. Another is assured of elimination.
That's what will happen Monday when Serena Williams plays older sister Venus Williams for the sixth time at the grass-court Grand Slam in southwest London.
"They've been unbelievable for the sport. I've said that many times," said Roger Federer, a seven-time Wimbledon champion who will also be playing on Manic Monday. "Their head-to-heads, I don't know how much that has to do with it. I think it's more their individual play."
Individually and together, the Williams sisters have become two of the greatest champions at the All England Club. They have each won five singles titles, and have teamed up to win five more in doubles.
Against each other on the grass at Wimbledon, Serena leads 3-2, with all three of her wins coming in finals. Venus won one final, and also won a semifinal match against her younger sibling in 2000 — the first time they met on court at the tournament.
Although Serena is still at the top of her game and going for a true Grand Slam this season, Venus has been struggling for the past few years and was diagnosed with an energy-sapping autoimmune disease in 2011, three years after her last Wimbledon title. It was the previous year, in 2010, when she last reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.
But this year, Venus has been nearing her past high standards, winning all three of her matches in straight sets.
"She's playing so well," Serena said. "I'm practicing next to her every day and I'm in awe of how she's doing. It's a little frustrating because I know I have to play her."
The Williams matchup is just one of the 16 fourth-round matches on the schedule for Monday — eight for the men and eight for the women.
Here are some things to know about Monday's matches:
ROGER'S RECORD — Roger Federer is the only current player with more Wimbledon singles titles than a Williams, and the seven-time champion is one away from a record-setting eighth.
Federer has had a relatively straightforward first week, winning his first two matches in straight sets and his third in four. His next opponent is 20th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut, a Spaniard who is playing at Wimbledon for the third time and has never reached the fourth round.
But for Federer, the pursuit of No. 8 and breaking the tie with Pete Sampras and 1880s player Willie Renshaw doesn't seem to be the only thing spurring him on.
"This is more something like you talk about for a couple weeks, it's gone again, then you have to wait a year if you don't do it," Federer said. "I just take Wimbledon as such, what a huge tournament it is, what an opportunity it is."
SEMIFINAL POSSIBILITY — Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka, the other two Grand Slam champions in the fourth round, have been two of the most consistent players at this year's tournament, and another pair of wins for each would set up a semifinal meeting on Thursday.
Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion, has lost only 15 games through three rounds and will next face Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan. Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, has lost 17 games and will next meet 30th-seeded Belinda Bencic of Switzerland.
Sharapova has played Diyas once before, beating her 6-1, 6-1 in the third round at this year's Australian Open.
"You can't underestimate anyone's level," Sharapova said.
GO GO DJOKO — Novak Djokovic missed out on a chance to make a run for a true Grand Slam when he lost to Stan Wawrinka in the French Open final. But the top-seeded Serb can still defend his title at Wimbledon, a victory that would give him a third championship at the All England Club.
"I try to put myself only in the present moment, not fight against the thoughts and the pressure and the excitement," Djokovic said, referring to his past experiences at the grass-court major.
Djokovic's next opponent will be Kevin Anderson, a 14th-seeded South African who has never been past the fourth round at a Grand Slam tournament.
MAJOR MISSION — Four women who have come close but are still looking for their first major title will also be on court Monday: Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska, Lucie Safarova and Jelena Jankovic.
All four of them lost to 20-time major champion Serena Williams in Grand Slam finals.
Wozniacki lost to Serena in the 2014 U.S. Open final, Radwanska was beaten in the 2012 Wimbledon final, Jankovic in the 2008 U.S. Open final and Safarova in this year's French Open final.
Wozniacki also reached the U.S. Open final in 2009, losing to Kim Clijsters.

subset: commoncrawl


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National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The MSFC can produce scores for each of the three individual measures as well as a composite score. In addition, there are a variety of ways to calculate scores depending on the nature of the study and sample. Download the MSFC Administration and Scoring Manual (PDF)


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Sec. 1906. Grant program to prohibit racial profiling.
SEC. 1906. <<NOTE: 23 USC 402 note.>> GRANT PROGRAM TO PROHIBIT RACIAL PROFILING.
(a) Grants.--Subject to the requirements of this section, the Secretary shall make grants to a State that--
(b) Eligible Activities.--A grant received by a State under subsection (a) shall be used by the State--
(c) Racial Profiling.--
(d) Limitations.--
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--


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Please excuse our recent absence from this space. We've been doing some remodeling and maintenance, but we're back now! We're still very excited to continue sharing more music and culture. In fact, last week we got together and recorded our very first Pelangacast live from our LP clubhouse! The concept is not to have the typical radio "programmed show," but instead to invite you into our cozy wall-to-wall collection of culture on vinyl as we share stories and discoveries from our musical addictions.
Below is our first episode with more to come soon. Have a listen, and let us know what you think.
- Intro
- Advice – I. C. Rock
- Ce La Vie – Les Difficiles De Pétion-Ville
- Ah Ah Oh No – La Protesta (ft. Joe Arroyo)
- El Preso – Louis Towers [NOTE: This unlabeled record was in a Grupo Kuwait sleeve, but it's actually Louis Towers]
- (Where Were You) Last Night – Sumy
- Banana Juana – Ralph Robles
- Guami Guami – Sir Victor Uwaifo and his Melody Maestros
- Jessie – Kanda Bongo Man


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The cheapest plan for family will cost $20,000 per year.
American families will be forced to buy conventional health insurance that primarily benefits the pharmaceutical industry under Obamacare. By 2016 the cheapest health insurance plan available will cost a typical American family $20,000 a year, according to the IRS.
Here's the news: The IRS just published descriptions of the financial penalties American taxpayers will pay if they fail to purchase the rip-off health insurance mandated under Obamacare.
"The examples point to families of four and families of five, both of which the IRS expects in its assumptions to pay a minimum of $20,000 per year for a bronze plan," reports CNS News.
It goes on to report, "The IRS's assumption that the cheapest plan for family will cost $20,000 per year is found in examples the IRS gives to help people understand how to calculate the penalty they will need to pay the government if they do not buy a mandated health plan."
We warned ya: Obamacare has always been a financial scam
For the record, we here at Natural News repeatedly warned people about the Obamacare scam, describing how it was a forced taxpayer handout to Big Pharma and the dangerous sick-care industry which kills 783,000 Americans a year.
Over the last few years, critics of my reporting on this subject insisted we were "conspiracy theorists" and that Obamacare would offer free health care to nearly everyone! Those who still had to buy health insurance would see rates go down, we were told by hypnotized, Kool-Aid-drinking Obama supporters. That's why Obamacare is called the "Affordable Care Act," after all.
How could it be called the "Affordable Care Act" if it wasn't going to be affordable, they insisted.
So now the truth comes out. Obamacare is a total scam, a complete rip-off, a massive handout to Big Pharma and a disaster to the U.S. wage earner. Obamacare is going to bankrupt America. Every family, small business owner and corporations is going to be financially suffocated under this burden, to the point where tens of millions simply surrender to the system, get on welfare, and become lifelong Democrats voting for larger and larger handouts.
I hate to say it, but once again I told ya so. Did you really think Obama was going to save money for the voters and make Big Pharma's profits go down? Seriously? (Don't be so gullible…)
Obamacare was always designed, from the very start, to loot the American taxpayer and put government in a position of monopolistic power over your health care decisions. This is the move toward fascism that's going to absolutely gut America and put millions of people on the street, homeless, jobless and diseased.
Who can afford $20,000 a year in health insurance?
Like everything else Obama has tried to shoved down America's throat, the Affordable Care Act is an outright catastrophe. It funnels hundreds of billions of dollars into the coffers of health insurance companies, vaccine manufacturers and drug companies, but it does absolutely NOTHING to help the American people.
Obamacare is, ultimately, nothing more than a financial racket enforced at gunpoint by the government itself. It's Big Pharma looting your pockets while an armed government IRS agent stands by and nods approval.
Obamacare is institutionalized looting of the paychecks and bank accounts of the American people. It is the equivalent of being mugged at knifepoint with the demand, "Your wallet or your life." In the case of Obamacare, however, you lose both your wallet and your life!
Impeach Obama, repeal Obamacare, end the medical monopoly that's crushing America
It's time those of us who stand for true liberty and justice in America stopped playing so nice. The people who are pushing Obamacare, the NDAA, citizen disarmament and other similar schemes are traitors to America. They need to be removed from power immediately.
But that's only the beginning: Why doesn't the FTC investigate the pharmaceutical monopoly enforced by the FDA in which drug companies earn 60,000% profit markups on their FDA-approved drugs?
State medical boards need to be entirely disbanded, as they criminalize alternative medicine, holistic medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic and other forms of healing.
The health insurance scam needs to be eviscerated. Its only purpose is to earn more money for health insurance companies and pharmaceutical interests. The system cares nothing for the American people, and it is based entirely on profit, not compassion or human dignity.
The cancer industry, with all its corrupt nonprofits, is a criminal racket that's operated much like a mafia. Under the RICO Act, much of modern medicine could be shut down, unleashing the free market forces of alternative and complementary medicine which can provide safe, effective and low-cost health care to the entire nation.
But this is not allowed by Obama. Nor was it allowed under Bush, who conspired with Big Pharma to keep drug prices ridiculously high, soaking Medicare for hundreds of billions of dollars. Time and time again, every U.S. President is a health care sellout, and no one sold it out more completely than Obama.
The more this man does, the worse it gets. Let me ask you this: How are you going to come up with $20,000 a year to pay for health insurance?
Oh wait, let me guess: You think your job is going to buy it for you? Think again: U.S. employers are increasingly offshoring jobs precisely to avoid these costs. So you're more likely than ever to find yourself unemployed by 2016. All across America, employers are responding to Obamacare mandates by slashing the weekly work hours of employees. U.S. businesses that used to thrive at full production are now experiencing severe shortages because they simply can't afford to cover Obamacare costs for full-time employees.
Obamacare is absolutely gutting America's economy it is must be repealed as soon as possible to stop the hemorrhaging of U.S. jobs.
10 solutions for real health care in America
You want a real health care solution? Here are 10 commonsense points:
1) Arrest all Big Pharma CEOs and top executives who have been involved in felony crimes, price fixing, doctor bribery, experiments on children and so on.
2) Outlaw vaccines additives such as mercury, aluminum, MSG and formaldehyde.
3) Decriminalize natural medicine and stop prosecuting alternative cancer doctors.
4) Abolish the FDA and end the drug monopoly cartel. Restore the free market to medicine.
5) Halt all Medicare and Medicaid payments to drug companies, hospitals and health insurance companies. Instead, issue patients VOUCHERS that they can spend in any way they wish, to receive whatever form of care works for them. This would restore the free market to medicine, where competition would drive down prices and spur improved patient outcomes.
6) End all intellectual property claims on genes and medicines. Break Big Pharma's insidious cycle of inventing fictitious diseases and then marketing those fake diseases in order to sell deadly chemicals to a gullible public. Medicine belongs in the public domain, not in the hands of the greedy few.
7) Break the chain of influence between drug companies and medical journals, medical schools and the media. Outlaw drug money influence over all these institutions. Prosecute doctors for bribery if they have accepted money, gifts or free vacations from Big Pharma.
8) Decriminalize free speech about nutritional supplements, herbal remedies and natural therapies. Allow makers of natural products to tell the truth about the healing benefits of their products.
9) Encourage states to pass "medical freedom zone" laws that nullify federal laws concerning health care in their particular states. Openly allow the practice of alternative cancer therapies, nutritional therapies, etc. Turn your state into a medical tourism destination for all Americans!
10) End the artificial legal protections of Big Pharma and the vaccine industry. Restore due process rights to patients who have been harmed by drugs or vaccines. Only through this will drug companies clean up their act and stop killing to many people.
Photo credit: Illinois Review
Via Infowars.com


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Mistakes on a plane
I'm in Seattle. An Event Apart just wrapped up here and it was excellent as always. The venue was great and the audience even greater so I was able to thoroughly enjoy myself when it was time for me to give my talk.
I'm going to hang out here for another few days before it's time for the long flight back to the UK. The flight over was a four-film affair — that's how I measure the duration of airplane journeys. I watched:
- Steve Jobs,
- The Big Short,
- Spectre, and
- Joy.
I was very glad that I watched Joy after three back-to-back Bechdel failures. Spectre in particular seems to have been written by a teenage boy, and I couldn't get past the way that the The Big Short used women as narrative props.
I did enjoy Steve Jobs. No surprise there — I enjoy most of Danny Boyle's films. But there was a moment that took me out of the narrative flow…
The middle portion of the film centres around the launch of the NeXT cube. In one scene, Michael Fassbender's Jobs refers to another character as "Rain Man". I immediately started to wonder if that was an anachronistic comment. "When was Rain Man released?" I thought to myself.
It turns out that Rain Man was released in 1988 and the NeXT introduction was also in 1988 but according to IMDB, Rain Man was released in December …and the NeXT introduction was in October.
The jig is up, Sorkin!
This was originally posted on my own site.


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Windows Phone challenges RIM in European markets
WP takes third place in Italy, gains market share elsewhere
The Windows Phone started to gain some traction in European markets during the last 12 weeks. WP is now challenging RIM, maker of the BlackBerry, for third place in Europe, according to a new report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
The WPP-owned market research company released sales data from Europe and the U.S. for the past 12 weeks, ending Sept 2.
The research group credited lower-end mobile devices such as the Nokia 610 for bolstering sales in Italy and France as Europeans look for better deals in their smartphones.
The data showed Windows' sales grew 6.6 percent in Italy, 3.5 percent in France and 2.3 percent in Great Britain over the three month period.
Windows Phone big in Italy
Windows' biggest stronghold is in Italy where the mobile OS commands 10.4 percent of the market share.
WP shot past RIM as its market share declined 14.7 percent in Italy during the last year to settle at 5.5 percent.
"Windows is making steady progress in the big European economies and is now challenging BlackBerry for third spot in the European OS league," Dominic Sunnebo, an analyst for Kantar Worldpanel, said in a press release.
"With the momentum Windows 8 will bring towards the end of 2012, it seems highly likely that it will achieve this before the end of the year."
Windows' Italian Job
If these trends continue in Italy, WP could end up taking Apple's top spot in smartphone sales. Apple's market share slipped almost 4 percent in the last year, retaining the top spot with a 14.7 percent market share in the boot-shaped country.
But, the recent release of the iPhone 5 is sure to give Apple some fodder to fuel sales, making this a very steep uphill battle for Windows.
However, an Italian victory may be a moral win more than anything else. Windows only has a 5 percent share across the entire European market. Android and iOS still dominate European sales with an 82.4 percent market share.
Italian sales don't seem to be indicative of any other markets. Windows has a market share of 4.4 percent in Great Britain, 4 percent in Germany, 5.7 percent in France and 2.7 percent in the U.S.
But Windows seems to be making progress, seeing mostly positive growth over the past year as companies like RIM, Symbian, and Apple lost market shares.
Yet, Kantar Worldpanel's data shows Android gaining the most ground in the past year, seeing double digit growth in most markets across the world.
But things may change, Windows 8 mobile OS is rumored to release fairly soon, which might help Windows close the distance on its competitors.
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Send questions and comments to email@example.com and follow me on Twitter! Question: I was wondering whether your affection for Last Resort had waned since the pilot. I've seen comments that the show has been uneven, but I've been absolutely hooked. I'm not trying to play the comparison game with some of Shawn Ryan's other excellent series (The Shield, Terriers) because maybe it isn't quite up to that incredible level, but I still think it's the best new show of the season
Send questions and comments to email@example.com and follow me on Twitter!
Question: I was wondering whether your affection for Last Resort had waned since the pilot. I've seen comments that the show has been uneven, but I've been absolutely hooked. I'm not trying to play the comparison game with some of Shawn Ryan's other excellent series (The Shield, Terriers) because maybe it isn't quite up to that incredible level, but I still think it's the best new show of the season (no offense to Nashville, which I'm also enjoying, even though the Connie Britton connection makes me keep hoping it'll transcend the soap a la Friday Night Lights, but it's just not there, even if it is still pretty good). But back to Last Resort. I don't really care if it's outrageous and unrealistic, but then I did watch eight seasons of 24. Almost every show requires some degree of suspending belief, and Last Resort is so compelling, exciting, entertaining, well-written and (for the most part) well-acted that I'm in for as long as it lasts.
I love television as an art form and have always hated how some view it as inherently inferior to film or theater. Last Resort, for me, offers an excellent look of what should always be found somewhere on TV: a high-quality game of what-if with compelling, complex characters where I honestly don't know what the next episode will bring. I don't care if the world Ryan and company have built is as fantastic and imaginary as those on Game of Thrones or Star Trek. It's a world I'm invested in and one I can't wait to return to each week. I don't believe you've really spotlighted the show in a column (aside from answering the occasional question) since it premiered, though, so I was curious if you weren't enjoying it as much as I am. And if not, why? Given a number of the shows you've championed over the years, I would think this would be very much up your alley. — Brad
Matt Roush: If you follow me in TV Guide Magazine (which I heartily recommend), you'd have seen that I devoted a very enthusiastic lead review several weeks ago to Last Resort, one of the very few freshman series I've revisited in the Roush Review space since Fall Preview. I'm championing it as best I can, and it's one of the shows I most look forward to every week, because it almost always surprises me. (Last week's chemical attack episode, with the hallucinations and time dislocations, a special case in point. If I'd seen that in advance, I might have tried to tout it online. Maybe next time.) Not everything is clicking with me — the storylines back in Washington, D.C., and the character of Kylie (Autumn Reeser) in particular — but when we're on the island or especially on the sub, I get caught up in the suspense and in the dynamic lead performances of Andre Braugher and Scott Speedman and in the anything-goes sensibility of the storytelling. So yes, I'm still very much on board and hope ABC sticks with something that's so different and exciting. Still hoping it gets an official back-nine order soon. Surely the network is going to rally behind something other than its cruddy new sitcoms.
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Question: I have two questions. The first concerns Revolution. Is NBC going to be funding any web series or anything of that caliber to keep us fans going forward in the story? That's what [ABC] did on Lost when it was on a hiatus similar to this one. The second question concerns my personal favorite new show this season: Elementary. My biggest problem with the show is that all stories so far seem to be episode-long [self-contained], and I was wondering if it could introduce ongoing struggles with particular criminals or groups, possibly spread out over several episodes. I guess the question is: Will they? I don't wish for Elementary to turn into a more intelligent version of CSI, as people almost never remember stories from that show, just characters and their occasional departures. — L.A.
Matt Roush: First, Revolution. NBC hasn't announced anything yet, but I'm led to believe they will be creating fresh content on other platforms to keep the show in the public eye while it's off the air for several months. It only makes sense. As for Elementary, the producers have talked of introducing a Moriarty-style nemesis for Holmes at some point — the post-Super Bowl episode would be an excellent opportunity to launch a big story like that, right? (Just speculating.) But for now, the show seems to be focusing more on Sherlock's back story: introducing the name of "Irene" last week (as in the fabled Irene Adler, and we can only hope she makes as big an impression as Lara Pulver's Emmy-nominated version on PBS' Sherlock last season), and continuing to tease us with the introduction of Sherlock's dad (the Roger Rees incident last week a nice fake-out). The iconic nature of Sherlock's character and the unusual way his relationship with the female Watson is developing are helping Elementary stand out from the run-of-the-mill procedural, but for the most part, the show still operates from the CBS playbook with self-contained mysteries. That's a formula that works for them, even if it makes the show seem less special than it could be.
Question: I've picked a few new shows this season (Arrow, Elementary, Revolution, Vegas, Last Resort). I tried Beauty and the Beast for one episode, but having watched the original with Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton, I wasn't very enthused. I tried 666 Park Avenue for five episodes, but a promising start quickly got old. I'm a big Stephen King fan among other things, so the premise got old quick. Now that brings me to Nashville. I want to like it. The music is good and the actors are excellent. The problem is after what I consider to be a strong pilot and an episode or two, the whole thing feels like it's starting to implode a bit. The best comparison I can make is with Smash. Good premise, but they are spending too much time on characters and side stories I don't give a damn about and not enough time on the meat of the show. In Smash's case it was the musical, in Nashville's it's the rivalry between Juliette and Rayna and anything to do with the music biz. I've loved Eric Close since The Magnificent Seven, but I absolutely hate him on this show along with his character. That whole Teddy storyline is dragging down the entire show, along with anything to do with her father. I actually liked the chemistry between Charles Esten and Connie Britton better, but have hated the way the writers have handled that whole thing.
I'm trying to be patient, especially since I watched all of Smash's first season and am planning on trying out the second, but I also watch CSI and Top Chef, which also air Wednesdays at 10/9c. There are also a bunch of midseason shows coming that sound very interesting to me. Eventually something is going to have to give, and I'm afraid it will end up being Nashville. Do you think the show is still fixable or that it will even get the chance to fix itself? I remember someone suggesting in your column that they move the show to Tuesday. The only thing I watch on Tuesday is Vegas, so that wouldn't necessarily be a bad idea. The question is would ABC move it to salvage it if the ratings keep dropping. Also curious as to whether the back nine for the show has gotten picked up or not. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the matter. — Maria
Matt Roush: The time period really isn't the issue here, is it? I'm still watching and for the most part enjoying Nashville, but it does need to goose up and refocus and re-energize the storytelling, and the best way to do that is to ditch the Teddy subplot (political campaign, financial and sexual scandal, etc.) as soon as possible, taking a cue from how quickly (though not quickly enough) they sent Juliette's awful mom into rehab. I'd be thrilled if this John Edwards clone went to prison or ran off with his vapid honey, anything to spare us those moments of dead air when he's plotting with Rayna's dad. Raise the stakes for Rayna as a single-mom fading superstar, pit her more directly against Juliette, all would sound good to me, especially as Maria noted if it keeps the music business front and center. The comparison to Smash is a good one, when you consider how frequently that show flatlined whenever it pulled focus from the backstage shenanigans. I'm very eager to see Smash's revamped second season, and likewise, I think Nashville is far from dead in the water creatively, and I'm hoping ABC will give it at least a full season to work out the kinks. Almost every new show, especially one that is creating its own formula, has growing pains, and I think this one is very fixable. But not if they think we will ever care about Teddy (like you, I've enjoyed Eric Close in other shows, but this role's going nowhere). I'd also like Nashville to reclaim a sense of fun and joy in the creative process. The scenes between Rayna and Deacon, between Scarlett and her almost-Teddy-level dour boyfriend, etc., were all awfully mopey last week, and that's going to be a real turn-off if it isn't already. Still, keeping the faith for now.
Question: I am loving Nashville and was wondering if there are any plans for country music stars to make guest appearances. For example, maybe Reba McEntire since her show is also on ABC. — Carly
Matt Roush: Not likely, or at least not yet. At present, Nashville seems content with sticking within its own reality of country-music royalty. Those who know the local scene will recognize actual Nashville musicians playing alongside the fictional stars — and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who's playing Teddy's secret amour/financial conspirator, is married to one of the biggest names in the biz — but from what I understand (and this could change), we shouldn't be looking for household-name cameos anytime soon. Although if it helps boost the show's profile, and adds a new level of excitement to things, it might not be the worst thing that could happen to the show.
Question: I'm a faithful reader, I often agree with your opinions, and I try to watch the shows you recommend — except The Walking Dead: I'm allergic to zombie-lore. I don't remember reading anything in your column about CBS's Vegas. I started to watch it tentatively and found myself hooked. I find the '60s period setting well dealt with, in more modest, less showy and in a way more realistic fashion than Mad Men, and I really like Dennis Quaid as the unsmiling sheriff and Michael Chiklis as the not-totally-corrupt mobster. Jason O'Mara and Carrie-Anne Moss and the rest add up to a very strong cast. The stories play well (it's refreshing that in 1960 they didn't have all the forensic gadgets: they have to rely on more primitive methods, brains and muscle), and the depiction of how Las Vegas became Sin City make us hope for interesting storylines. It's remarkable how, with Justified and Longmire (that I both like very much as well — but then, I'm 57), modern-set Westerns seem to be making their way back into television. And thus, I keep asking myself: What does Matt think? Thank you for all the interesting comments and insights. — Marc
Matt Roush: I'm not yet as wild about Vegas as I am about Justified (a longtime favorite) or even Longmire (which grew on me through all of last summer), but I do think it's solid, if a bit predictable, and when I do catch up with it — Parenthood takes top priority for me on Tuesdays — I'm generally entertained, especially by Quaid and his family (O'Mara as his more charming brother and Taylor Handley as his rascally son) doing the cowboy law enforcer thing, clashing with the city-slicker mobsters who've never come up against a force of implacable nature quite like Ralph Lamb. You make some good points about how the '60s attitudes and mores help set the procedural aspect apart from the CBS norm — though I disagree about Vegas treating the period with more realistic nuance than on Mad Men — but this is a show that captures my attention more for its tone and its cast than its story so far.
Question: Just caught Mockingbird Lane on Hulu and I must know what is next for the series! How were the ratings for this "Halloween Special?" Did it inspire any other networks to pick the show up? Or for NBC to at least make a mini-series out of it? I need more Bryan Fuller in my life, and two seasons of Pushing Daisies on DVD is not enough. — Danielle
Matt Roush: No new news on this front that I'm aware of, which probably doesn't bode well for Mockingbird Lane's long-term future. The pre-Halloween showing of this "busted pilot" did OK by Friday standards and helped boostGrimm that night, but given the costs and risks involved in keeping the show going, I'd be surprised if NBC resurrects it at this point. (And forget anyone coming to the rescue; it's too pricey for Syfy, and one of the main reasons this revival happened in the first place is that The Munsters is an in-house Universal property.) But good news on the Bryan Fuller front: He's attached to Hannibal, which is still waiting for a midseason slot on NBC but is destined for better treatment than Mockingbird Lane ever got.
Question: Is there anyone besides William Daniels who could have pulled off the role of Dr. Thomas on Grey's Anatomy? Not only is he a wonderful actor, but he is still Mr. Feeny (from Boy Meets World) to many of us. There's so much good will attached to that character, it was easy to accept him as a teacher and mentor to Cristina. I loved that scene where Cristina is walking down the hall remembering Dr. Feeny's words of wisdom. It was a powerful "passing of the torch" moment. Looking back, you can see that Dr. Feeny was showing Christina who she could become. A great surgeon who dedicates herself to medicine. A great doctor fighting the good fight even when she's old and gray. However, I have to say Dr. Feeny's death did get me to thinking. Is too much character death becoming a problem in television?
In this instance, I think it was the right choice. It added an extra punch to his final words. But it used to be expected that TV shows wouldn't kill off main and/or beloved characters. That has definitely changed. Sometimes that's a good thing. Some shows have benefited from that sense of uncertainty and drama of who's in danger. Some shows have taken it too far. Grey's obviously has this problem. Everyone does die here. Sometimes the death makes sense to the story like Dr. Feeny's. Other times I feel like characters have died when the better choice would have been to let them leave in a different manner with the option of returning. I felt the same way about Graham's death in Once Upon a Time. His death seemed to be less about storytelling and more like the show was saying, "See! We can kill off people unexpectedly!" My problem with all this death is that it takes away some of the impact. Dr. Feeny's death was unexpected, but not really shocking. As it was happening, I thought, "Well, of course he's going to die. The show's done with him." Character death has become the "go to" when it's time to create interest or drama regardless of how it fits into the overall story. — Lindlee
Matt Roush: Here's TV's generation gap in action. To many, William Daniels will always be Mr. Feeny. But to those in my demographic (who weren't nearly as glued to Boy Meets World during a period dominated by NBC's "must-see" Thursday hits), Daniels will always be Dr. Mark Craig, the role that won him two Emmys on St. Elsewhere, the groundbreaking hospital drama from the '80s that laid the foundation for future hits like ER and Grey's Anatomy. If you were paying close attention, Daniels' character was named Dr. "Craig" Thomas — in fact, in his final episode, he confronts his boss, saying, "I'm not 'Craig,' I'm Dr. Thomas," which is about as meta as it gets. And that vibe made his character one of my favorite things about Grey's this season. I loved his rapport with Yang, and Sandra Oh seemed to take great pleasure sharing scenes with this great veteran actor.
As for his death: It had dramatic impact, on Cristina for sure but also for the viewer, and that's all that really matters for me. It's hardly new for heightened TV melodramas to use a character's sudden death for emotional shock value — it's at least as old as Rosalind Shays taking the elevator plunge on L.A. Law back in the day — and it's important for shows like Once Upon a Time to establish early on that, despite its "family" veneer as a revisionist twist on fairy tales, stakes are high and major characters can actually die, so I was OK with the way Regina dispatched her lover last season. Grey's has used this device more than most, and the plane crash in particular had a feel of point-of-no-return desperation, but it's hard to deny that the deaths of Lexie and Mark have left a mark on the characters to whom they mattered most. And maybe even on the fans.
Question: The Voice on NBC is very successful in the ratings for NBC, and is scoring higher ratings than The X Factor on Fox. I don't watch The Voice, but I watch The X Factor, and I share with you the disappointment that Khloe Kardashian was chosen as one of the show's co-hosts for the live shows. (Aren't we all sick and tired of those overexposed Kardashians that are everywhere on TV? I know I am!) and the over-the-top Vegas-style productions of the contestants' performances! I liked the earlier audition episodes, but quit watching before the live shows when I found out that Khloe Kardashian was named as one of the show's co-hosts! I only learned about what the live shows were like when I read the Q&A regarding The X Factor in last week's Ask Matt column. Like I mentioned before, I don't watch The Voice, and the two reasons why I don't is because, 1) The show focuses more on the celebrity judges' egos than the contestants on the show (and despite some of The X Factor's shortcomings, that show has equal focus on both the judges and the contestants); and 2) The first two winners (or any of the runner-ups or also-rans) of The Voice hasn't had any breakthrough hit singles and both of their debut albums were total flops on the music charts, whereas American Idol had past winners like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood and even runner-ups and also-rans like Jennifer Hudson, Chris Daughtry and Katharine McPhee all had major success in either their music careers and/or acting careers. (The X Factor's Melanie Amaro's debut album has yet to be released.) Why is it that you and most other people watch and prefer The Voice more than The X Factor even when the former show hasn't had any successful singers that became famous and had hit music careers? — Chris
Matt Roush: What happens to these contestants, winners or otherwise, after the show is out of my control, and honestly, pretty much off my radar. I'm not a music critic. What matters to me is whether the show itself provides compelling entertainment, and by that standard, The Voice towers over The X Factor. The blind audition rounds on The Voice are riveting and great fun, and they managed to extend the gimmick further into this season with the opportunities to "steal" talent during the battle rounds. (In the case of Amanda Brown, a "steal" has given a real contender a much-deserved second chance.) And I respectfully disagree about the focus on the judge/coaches on these shows. The Voice certainly puts a bright spotlight on its superstars, but so does The X Factor, and besides Demi Lovato, no one is popping on The X Factor the way Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera and even the eccentric Cee Lo Green do on The Voice — which also does a much more thorough job of showing the celebrity coaches working with their talent, preparing them for the next round with specific pointers and encouragement. On The X Factor, these scenes are perfunctory at best and not terribly convincing. Both shows are flawed by the celebrities being coach/mentors of individual teams, inhibiting their ability to actually "judge" the performers — but again, it's worse on The X Factor, because the judges' comments seem more directed at tearing each other down (Simon vs. Demi, Simon vs. L.A.) than even engaging the actual singer. The tone of The Voice is generally much more positive, and it's just more of a pleasure to watch. Plus: No Kardashians. That's a win in my book.
Question: With filming beginning on the last, shortened, season of Treme (I'm still only at Season 2), do you think they'll be able to send the show off in style or do you think, like I do, that they should have been given a full season to wrap up all the character's storylines, even though, as Creighton said, "There is no closure"? - Ryan
Matt Roush: For a show that pulls the ratings of Treme, every season and every episode has to be looked at as a gift. I'm sure knowing this far in advance how much of a final season (more like a mini-series) they have to work with, the show's creative team will be able to craft a final chapter that will meet everyone's needs. Of course they and the show's fans would prefer more — who wouldn't? — but it's not as if story was ever actually Treme'sselling point. This final season will allow a show with a great deal of integrity and authenticity to go out on its own terms, and that sits well with me.
Question: On Sunday, Oct. 28, The Amazing Race had contestants going to a Bangladesh garbage dump to collect dead rats. How disgusting can this show get? I feel the producers are losing touch with what The Amazing Race is all about, and turning the show into continued episodes of Survivor. I don't see any entertainment value arising out of collecting dead rats out of a Bangladesh garbage dump. This was the last straw for my wife and me, we stopped watching at that moment, deleted the recording and canceled the series from future episodes. This kind of gross programming is for the sick minded, not what I would call valued family prime-time entertainment. I just hope that a large portion of the watching public feels as I do, and CBS makes some changes. I know it's too late for this season, but maybe next season we can return to family entertainment and leave out the gross! — Frank
Matt Roush: Honestly, I was more turned off and appalled in the following episode when the contestants themselves began acting like rats — taking a team's money, which had inadvertently been left in the open, and keeping it for themselves without apology or (much) remorse. There has always been an "ick" factor involved in some of The Amazing Race's challenges, whether it involves eating some local exotic "delicacy" (often with barfing involved) or disposing of dead rats, which I imagine is a problem in this particular locale. We all have our limits, and this certainly seems to have crossed your personal line, but I find myself more irked when there's no "challenge" to a challenge, like getting the full Istanbul bathhouse treatment or eating ice cream from a playful vendor. (I've been to Istanbul and had both experiences, and enjoyed them at the time, but it hardly makes for great TV.


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Is 31 Dec. 2012 last date of the earth? and answer is yes. so my question is - what will you do in 30th Dec.2012
don't be ridiculous
Yes, it is. Everyone will stop using dates from 1 January 2013.
If i would act like there was an end of the world every time i hear about it, i would have been in jail now, or in mental hospital…<spikeySnip>sneaky </spikeySnip>
Sorry but I am not a joker and I am not joking.
where is your evidence?
laughing at you
Geesh man, at least get your paranoid delusions correct.
It's December 21st, not the 31st according to the doomsayers (I love how we can extrapolate a 5000 year calendar right down to the day).
Wow, great news
Yes. Even the IRS has said they will collect 2012 taxes starting October 2012.
They've also listed out items like Arks, gas masks and other survival items are tax deductible.
Really wierd. Think of all the people who will still be using IE6 in 2014 even though the world ended two years earlier.
Of course this is more likely to be a local phenomena rather than apply to everyone. Perhaps the world is going to end on that date for the OP while it will continue to exist for everyone else.
On a slightly related subject - does anyone know why the astronauts who visited the moon didn't bring back large quantities of cheese? Was it something to do with weight limits in the capsule or was it that they did tests and found that moon cheese would be inedible to people on Earth (or maybe they decided that it tasted so nice that they hid all the supply to keep it for themselves).
Well, they left the cheese right there with the moon, for they knew about Dec. 31, 2012. A few of the astronauts have a secret mission prepared for that day to go back to the moon. No worries for them, they have enough cheese there to live on for the rest of their lives
That is why they did not tell anybody – hahaha
I love this apocalypse theory, it's all to-do with how dates were interpreted by the Mayans, on the up-side though if you go by the factual information, Jesus was apparently born in July and the monks who translated his birthday got the date wrong (due to the calendar system they used) and they only kept with the December 25th to keep the pagans happy who formed the idea of Yule before they appeared on the block. So therefore I predict that if the world should end on that date, we will probably miss Christmas
I think the theories which say that we are approaching the age of Aquarius are quite interesting. If you really think about it, humankind has only evolved so tremendously within the past one hundred years. And as we become more technologically advanced, time and new discoveries approach faster by the day.
Perhaps the scientifically-inclined persons would agree that there is a vast majority about that universe that we do not yet know about—in that, is it possible that celestial objects and energies in outer-space are able to affect human consciousness either directly or indirectly. We already know through science that electromagnetic waves can have an impact on the human brain as we understand it.
That and everyone likes an apocalypse, there's something about chaos which excites people, probably why action and sci-fi films are among the most popular
They tried to steal Yule from us, but midwinter Pagan traditions are very much alive and well. Put another pig on the roast
You're a Pagan too? I now have visions of you in a robe doing a skyclad dance over the burning fire… oh make the pictures stop
oh comon STOP THAT PLZZZ this noise about 2012 is sad… Why you think the movie 2012 was made? stop people from worrying about what is really happening in the world TODAY…
[FONT="Georgia"]I think you got your answer(s) streamboy.


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Sixteen crude-sucking barges are back in the Gulf of Mexico working to clean up oil, but the Coast Guard is defending its decision to ground the vessels because it couldn't verify whether there were fire extinguishers and life vests on board.
"The Coast Guard is not going to compromise safety … that's our No. 1 priority," Coast Guard spokesman Robert Brassel told The Daily Caller.
The decision to ground the ships is under intense scrutiny after Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal expressed his deep frustration with the decision Thursday.
"You got men on the barges in the oil, and they have been told by the Coast Guard, 'Cease and desist. Stop sucking up that oil,'" Jindal said to ABC News.
Brassel said the barges are now "back in operating order."
On Thursday night, the Incident Commander in Houma, Roger Laferriere, decided with the captain of the port in New Orleans to inspect the barges when they realized the ships did not have a certificate of inspection to demonstrate safety equipment on board. Thursday morning, the ships were inspected and grounded because they did not have the proper fire-fighting and life-saving equipment. There were also concerns about the stability of the barges. During the day Thursday, the problems were fixed, and the barges are back out on the water today.
Brassel's defense of the decision, he said, was based on the "general Coast Guard perspective" on safety matters. Brassel repeatedly declined to say whether the Coast Guard balances safety considerations in an urgent, disaster response scenario like what is happening in the Gulf versus ordinary circumstances when time is not of the essence.
Other local authorities have also decried the Coast Guard's actions in responding to the spill. For instance, county commissioner Wayne Harris, whose Okaloosa county has gone rogue on the oil spill, said Coast Guard ships ran over booms the county had set up to stop the invading oil.


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Caribou and reindeer numbers worldwide have plunged almost 60% in the last three decades.
The dramatic revelation came out of the first ever comprehensive census analysis of this iconic species carried out by biologists at the University of Alberta.
The results have recently been published in the peer reviewed Global Change Biology Journal and co-author PhD student Liv Vors said global warming and industrial development are responsible for driving this dramatic decline in species numbers around the world.
Vors, who is studying under Dr Mark Boyce, Alberta Conservation Association Chair in Fisheries and Wildlife at the University of Alberta, says the decline raises serious concerns not only for the animals, but also for people living in northern latitudes who depend on the animals for their livelihood.
"In this research we tried to look beyond the science and focus also on the impact on the economies and culture of northern people," said Vors.
The dramatic changes caused by global warming that happen in the Arctic and which impact on the herds include; earlier spring green ups that now occur before migrating herds arrive north and which deprive mothers and calves of quality feeding; warmer summers that cause more intense insect activity harassing animals and affecting their feeding; the impact of more freezing rain during winter on the lichens that animals feed on during the colder months.
In the boreal forest industrial development has largely driven the decline.


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Aidan Moffat & The Best Ofs have a new record out. It's called How To Get From Heaven From Scotland, it's about lurve, and it's to be released on February 14th as a special Valentine's Day box set.
Included: CD and vinyl versions of the album, a 7" with covers of Sonny and Cher's 'I Got You Babe' and Glen Campbell's 'Love Is Not A Game', a 5 track CD EP featuring 4 alternate versions of album tracks and a bonus track, plus a "How To Get To Heaven From Scotland" board game (play online here) and a Valentine's Card personally signed and numbered by Aidan himself.
"The perfect Valentine's Day gift for a loved one," concludes its author.
'Lover's Song'
This is an overseas plea, a simple little song about a sometimes geographically-challenged romance. A woman wrote to me recently to say that she had heard it online and copied down the lyrics to send to her man in the army, which I thought was perfect. The arrangement is for cello, woodwind and human beat-box – there can't be many of those, can there?
'Big Blonde'
A little country song from a little country, describing that incredible and joyous instant when we realise that we're finally over our ex and comfortably in love with someone new.
'Atheist's Lament'
I once dreamt that my grandfather's ghost was standing beside my bed, keeping a watchful eye on me. I woke up but was still in that half dream state and for a moment was certain he was there. I was too terrified to turn around, not because I was afraid but because I knew that he wouldn't be there and I would have loved to see him again. I think this fear is what lies at the heart of all religious belief.
'Oh Men!'
A lads' shout-along about appreciating the physical allure of the female of the species that tries to turn into a feminist statement and then talks its way out of a slap in the face. Hopefully successfully.
'A Scenic Route To The Isle Of Ewe'
All about falling out on holiday. Sonically, I put the Brian Eno advice to use – the guitar was so creaky and noisy that rather than clean it up and give it a pop shine, we accentuated the creaks and noise. I'm not interested in pop shine anyway.
'That's Just Love'
I played everything on this, which is why it sounds incompetent but – hopefully – good fun. I'm sure it was meant to be a daft B-side experiment but I became very attached to it as a sort of light relief moment. We do a quiet version live which is quite lovely because it has proper musicians playing it rather than my chubby digits straining round a banjo's neck.
'Ballad Of The Unsent Letter'
If you know my previous work then it will probably come as no surprise that the man in this ballad is me, but I think it's the first time I've sang about myself in third person. It was written years ago after Arab Strap's last American tour, which was very, very hard work.
'Now I Know I'm Right'
In which I name the three most important girls in my past and attempt to pleasantly explain what went wrong. After all those Arab Strap songs, it's the least I could do. The name's aren't really important, though – listeners can hopefully apply their own exes to the song.
'The Last Kiss'
A love song about the passing of time and brain surgery.
'Lullaby For Unborn Child'
A song of about the hope and fear of impending fatherhood, featuring my unborn (at the time) son's heartbeat, as recorded in the midwife's room about ten months ago. The boy's about eight months now and fatherhood is as joyous as I'd hoped, although no less scary than I'd imagined.
'Living With You Now'
A grapefruit isn't a particularly effective weapon, which is probably why I used it in the first place. The sound effects at the end are the genuine sounds of what it's like to wake up in bed next to me... you lucky, lucky people.
'My Goodbye'
Or lack thereof. This started off as a mess about to fill some time on a rare day when we'd finished what we wanted to do early, so I hummed a little tune and the wonderful Stevie Jones and Alan Barr seemed to understand what I meant. Kismet!
- How To Get From Heaven From Scotland is released as a Valentine's box set on - duh - February 14th (tomorrow!), with a full release to follow two days later on Monday February 16th via Chemikal Underground.


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NEW YORK — Jealous sniping has always been in fashion, whatever the century.
The backstage passions and vanities of a quartet of popular opera singers, plus a revered diva and a couple of renowned composers illuminate the New York City premiere of "Golden Age," Terrence McNally's play about an important evening in the life of 19th-century Italian opera composer Vincenzo Bellini.
A mischievously humorous production opened Tuesday night at Manhattan Theatre Club at City Center. Opera buff McNally, a four-time Tony Award-winner, has previously explored the behind-the-scenes drama of classical performers, notably in the darker 1995 "Master Class," a tribute to Maria Callas.
"Golden Age" is set on Jan. 24, 1835, in the backstage area beneath the Theatre Italien opera house in Paris, at the premiere of Bellini's new opera, "I Puritani." It was his last work.
With a bit of poetic and factual license, McNally gives his characters a variety of informed discussions, sprinkled with insider opera jokes, covering musical techniques, snipes at rival performers, and romantic and professional jealousies and betrayals.
He clever manages to insert the ghost of Callas, even though she wasn't born until nine decades later, through the formidable personality of outspoken, formidable mezzo-soprano Maria Malibran, (Bebe Neuwirth, grandly imperious and eloquent.)
Director Walter Bobbie gets around the fact that none of his cast can sing operatically by sending them up a sweeping staircase to the opera house wings, where they disappear offstage, and their singing is voiced by professional opera recordings (including Callas at least once, for Malibran.)
Lee Pace holds the stage with aplomb as Bellini, portraying the youthful, already-successful, but dying Sicilian composer as alternately confident and nerve-wracked. Bellini nervously paces about, complaining about critics, second-guessing his work, reassuring his performers between acts and falling into reveries as he conducts along with the upstairs opera.
Luigi Lablache, the bass, is portrayed with staunch spirit by Ethan Phillips, and Eddie Kaye Thomas is brightly confident as tenor Giovanni Battista Rubini. Lorenzo Pisoni is quite dashing and comical as egotistical, lady-killer baritone Antonio Tamburini. His excessive pants-stuffing leads Bellini to proclaim jestingly, "This is the theatre. We wear our hearts on our sleeves and our cucumbers in our pants!"
Dierdre Friel gives a spirited air to temperamental soprano Giulia Grisi. Neuwirth drily delivers one of the play's funniest lines, about a Grisi tantrum, "Rivalry is strong medicine." Will Rogers is humble and protective as Bellini's lover, Florimo, movingly recalling an evening of carousing with a then-healthy Vincent that gives a glimpse of Bellini's creative process.
Renowned composer Rossini, portrayed with panache by F. Murray Abraham, also briefly visits Bellini backstage. (George Morfogen is taking over the role of Rossini on Dec. 11.) Coco Monroe charmingly rounds out the cast as a young page who races around Santo Loquasto's elegant set delivering plot-advancing notes.
In "Golden Age," McNally provides a fascinating, authentic-sounding glimpse of the passions and piques of top-notch performers as they struggle to get themselves — and one another — through the pressure-cooker nerves of a major opening-night performance.